Hits on You, Hits You
by animearia
Summary: In which Gray decides it's finally time to confess to Natsu...but it doesn't go exactly as planned... Happy Valentines Day :)


_**A/N: I think I saw the prompt of a "hits on you hits you" fic somewhere on Tumblr, but it was a while ago and I can't really remember, sorry! This is another of the 30 fics I have saved and ready to post but still haven't actually managed to post, and seeing as it's Valentines day I thought I'd post a few one-shots!**_

It had taken Gray a while to come to terms with his feelings. Natsu had always been one of his closest friends, despite how much they bickered between themselves. But somewhere along the way, friendship had turned to something more on Gray's end. He ended up bickering with Natsu even more than usual because of a number of different things. It let him get close to Natsu. It was how they communicated and Gray was practically shouting his feelings at Natsu with it but the other man was too dense to realise. And from time to time he may also use their tendency to argue and fight to pull Natsu away from Lucy or any other girl that he felt was getting a bit too close to Natsu. That could steal him away before Gray had a chance to do anything.

He'd been psyching himself up for a while. At first he was scared that he'd be rejected and he'd ruin his friendship with Natsu. While it may not look like it to outsiders, it was a friendship and one that he cherished. Natsu had always been there ever since he joined the Guild. But as Lucy had arrived at the Guild and she and Natsu became closer and closer Gray had started to worry.

He'd never been entirely sure what Natsu's preference was when it came to romance and…other things. He'd never really seemed interested in any of that. He just wanted to fight and get stronger and better. But the closer Natsu and Lucy became, the more uneasy Gray felt. He loved Natsu. He loved his stupid pink hair. He loved his stupid smile. He loved his idiotic, dense, loyal, determined and brave dragon slayer. But with Lucy he felt any chance he had with Natsu slipping away. Because he'd never been _sure_ and while he'd been terrified at first, the longer he thought about it, the older he became…the more he reasoned with himself. _You don't know unless you try. Unless you say something._ And so Gray's fear had turned to determination.

He had to know one way or the other. If Natsu turned him down…then so be it. He would move on somehow. But…there was a small chance that he wouldn't turn him down…that he'd reciprocate his feelings and that small hope was why Gray had to try. Before Lucy stole him away. Logically Gray knew Natsu and Lucy where best friends, and that's why they where so close. Natsu hadn't shown any interest in dating her, and Lucy hadn't really made a move on Natsu either that Gray knew of. But all the same, he felt that time was running out until finally…it was now or never.

Gray had made sure to look his best. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. He'd carefully arranged his hair, and put on his best, pants and shirt with his long white coat over the top. He'd strolled to the guild and perched at the bar waiting for Natsu to arrive. While he waited, he repeated over and over what he was going to say. _Natsu….we've been friends for a good long while….for years even….I don't know how you feel but I love you. I've loved you for a while. I don't know if you're gay or straight or bi or whatever, I don't know if you love Lucy or someone else. But you're dense and if I don't tell you, you won't know…I won't know. So I love you._ Gray winced. _It could use some work…it's not…exactly like me but then…I've never made a love confession before. I do know that I don't want to sound like a male version of Juvia._ He shuddered at the mental image. _But I'll say…something like that and then….._ Gray let himself dare to imagine. _"Gray…..I can't believe it's taken you this long. I love you too" and then Natsu would lean closer and….._

"Hey everyone!" Natsu's voice rang out across the Guild, startling Gray who flushed immediately, ducking his head down and hiding behind the collar of his coat. He cleared his throat, earning himself a concerned look from Mira followed by a cold glass of water. He gulped it down immediately. After composing himself, Gray surreptitiously turned to survey the Guild, searching for a familiar head of messy pink hair. _There._ Natsu was standing by Gajeel, talking animatedly with him. His soft pink hair as messy as usual, his face lit up with a smile. Gray took a deep breath. _This is it. It's now or never. Just go over there and tell him how you feel. The worst that can happen is that he says no and you have to…have to somehow move on and find someone else..that's the worst. But he might….he might….._ Gray steeled himself and started to walk over towards the pair of dragon slayers.

If Gray hadn't been so distracted, so focused on his mission he might have noticed what he was walking in to. But as it was, he was too focused on what he was going to say to Natsu. Repeating the words over and over in his head, changing them, trying to work out what was best to say. He'd been contemplating what he would say for months, but now that the moment had arrived…none of it seemed to convey what he wanted to say. None of it seemed right and he frantically tried to correct it. Improve it. He was getting closer and closer to Natsu. Gray found he couldn't quite focus on Natsu directly. He studied his hands as he walked, glancing up quickly to make sure he was still headed in the right direction until….he was there. Natsu was right in front of him. He had his back to Gray, and was facing Gajeel.

If Gray had been able to hear anything over the pounding of his heart…things might have ended differently. If Gray had been able to look up, he might have seen that the mood had changed somewhat since he'd started to walk over there. Gray took a deep breath and opened his mouth….but all of his words failed him. His carefully planned speech, written and re-written and changed and tweaked as he'd walked to this very spot failed him. _Damnit…what do I say….what do I say?_ He started to reach his hand out to Natsu. _How do I tell him? How….I….what do I….._

He grabbed Natsu's arm, tugging him. "Oi flame brain! Is it hot in here or is that just you?" _What the hell did I just say?! What?!_ Gray had time to think before a flaming fist hit him straight in the face and sent him flying. Gray blinked up at Natsu, bringing his hand up to his face. _Ouch. Did he just…punch me in the face?_ Natsu stalked towards him.

"What did you just say ice princess!?" Natsu said, spoiling for a fight.

"Hey get back here you stupid pyro!" Gajeel bellowed behind him.

"I said…uh….I had something to..tell you" Gray said slowly. _Thank God he didn't hear me hit on him with that lame pick up line._ Natsu relaxed.

"Oh…"

"You hit me." Gray said dumbly.

"Yeah sorry, you grabbed my arm and called me flame brain, it was kind of a reflex. I thought you wanted to join in the brawl" Natsu said shrugging his shoulders. _Brawl? What….._ Gray finally looked up to see that half the Guild was engaged in one of their most destructive brawls yet. It would appear Natsu's conversation with Gajeel had morphed in to a fight and slowly sucked everyone else in like a violent black hole. To be fair….he'd probably actually _asked_ Gajeel to fight him and things had escalated. _If I hadn't been so stuck in my own damn head I'd have noticed. This is the worst time to confess to someone. Dammit._

"But if you aint fighting then get out of my way" Natsu finished as Gray tuned back in. The dragon slayer started to turn but Gray lunged to his feet and grabbed his arm. The Guild was descending further and further in to chaos and it was unlikely anyone would overhear them. _Now or never._

"Natsu I have something to say to you" Gray said seriously. Natsu turned to him, eyeing his body language.

"Okay….what is it?" he asked, head cocked to the side in curiosity.

"We've known each other a long time, been friends a long time. I don't know when exactly it happened but…." Gray swallowed. He looked directly in to Natsu's dark eyes. "I love you. I have for a while. At first I was too scared to do anything about it…I don't know, I don't know what you like. But I realised I have to take that chance, before it's too late. So….I love you. Idiot" Gray added the last part out of habit.

"I love you too" Natsu said bluntly.

"I figured you'd feel that way but it was worth a-" Gray cut himself off as the words registered. "Wait...what?" Natsu sighed impatiently.

"I _said_ that I love you too" Natsu said, looking him in the eyes before turning back towards the brawl. "But I'm kinda in the middle of something right now" Natsu started to take a step away. Gray grabbed him by the back of the scarf.

"Hey!" Natsu started to complain but Gray grabbed his face, cupping it with his hands and kissed him. Natsu's lips where warm and soft. He sighed happily, providing the dragon slayer with the perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss. When they broke apart they where both breathing hard.

"You love me?" Gray said smiling slightly.

"Well yeah. I thought you already knew...that's what the fighting was about right?" Natsu asked innocently.

"Why didn't you just say?" Gray asked through gritted teeth. Thinking of all the time they'd wasted being apart. Of all the time he'd spent agonising over it.

"That's what Lucy said, but I wasn't sure-" Gray cut Natsu off with another rough kiss. _He and Lucy really are just friends...all this time..._ Gray smiled in to the kiss. _I guess he was scared of the same thing I was._ They slowly broke apart and Natsu smiled, gazing in to Gray's eyes.

"Gray...I..." _is he...is he going to confess properly too?_ Gray wondered gazing back in to Natsu's eyes. "I'll be right back. I was totally kicking Gajeel's ass" Natsu said with glee. Gray felt his eye twitch. _I'm going to punch him. Right in his stupid, good looking face._ "When I'm done-" Natsu was cut off by a cold fist to the face.

"Hey that hurt snowflake!" Natsu whined, rubbing his face.

"I'll kiss it better later" Gray growled, causing Natsu to pout.

"Fine" he grumbled, as he started to head back in to the battleground that the Guild hall had become. Gray sighed. "You comin?" Natsu asked, and Gray turned to see Natsu standing there, his hand held out. Gray felt his face break in to a smile.

"Well I suppose someone's gotta make sure you don't get your ass handed to you" he said nonchalantly as he sauntered towards Natsu.

"Big words from the popsicle princess" Natsu smirked.

"You wanna go, you fiery mouth breather?" Gray smirked back, following Natsu in to the fray.

"Hey Juvia, fight me! Gray's mine now" Natsu cackled. Gray rolled his eyes.

 _I guess the middle of a Guild brawl isn't so bad a place to confess._


End file.
